Operating mechanism for explosion-operated devices

ABSTRACT

AN OPERATING MECHANISM FOR AN EXPLOSION-OPERATED DEVICE, SUCH AS, FOR EXAMPLE, AN ANIMAL-SLAUGHTERING DEVICE. THE CONTROL MECHANISM INCLUDES A BREECH BODY IN WHICH A FIRING PIN IS GUIDED FOR LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT. A SWINGABLE HAMMER COACTS WITH THE FIRING PIN TO DIRVE THE LATTER WHEN THE HAMMER IS RELEASED TO THE FORCE OF A DRIVING SPRING. THE HAMMER ITSELF IS PROVIDED WITH A COCKING TOOTH, AND A CATCH TOOTH COACTS WITH THIS COCKING TOOTH TO COCK THE HAMMER UNTIL THE CATCH TOOTH RELEASES THE COCKING TOOTH. THIS CATCH TOOTH FORMS PART OF A SWINGABLE OPERATING LEVER WHICH HAS AN ARM PROJECTING LATERALLY THEREFROM. A SPRING ASSEMBLY IS LOCATED BETWEEN THIS LAT-   TER ARM AND THE HAMMER AND AS A RESULT OF ITS COMPRESSION BETWEEN THESE COMPONENTS ACTS TO MAINTAIN THE CATCH TOOTH IN ENGAGEMENT WITH THE COCKING TOOTH UNTIL THE LEVER IS TURNED TO COMPRESS THE SPRING ASSEMBLY TO AN EXTENT SUFFICIENT TO DRIVE THE HAMMER. AT THIS TIME, THE CATCH TOOTH AUTOMATICALLY MOVES AWAY FROM THE COCKING TOOTH.

Oct. 5

, 1971 A NECAS 3,609,901

OPERATING MECHANISM FOR EXPLOSION-OPERATED DEVICES Filed March 21, 1969v v v 20202020 NVENTO l Avgub'm NEAS ATTORNEY United States Patent O3,609,901 OPERATING MECHANISM FOR EXPLOSION- OPERATED DEVICES AugustinNecas, Praha, Czechoslovakia, assignor to Zbrojovka, narodni podnik,Brno, Czechoslovakia Filed Mar. 21, 1969, Ser. No. 809,181 Claimspriority, application Czechoslovakia, Mar. 25, 1968, 2,263/68 Int. Cl.F41c 19/00 U.S. Cl. 42-69 R 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Anoperating mechanism for an explosion-operated device," such as, forexample, an animal-slaughtering device. The control mechanism includes abreech body in which a ring pin is guided for longitudinal movement. Aswingi able hammer coacts with the ring pin to drive the latter when thehammer is released to the force of a driving spring. The hammer itselfis provided with a cocking tooth, and a catch tooth coacts with thiscocking tooth to lcock the hammer until the catch tooth releases thecocking tooth. This catch tooth forms part of a swingable operatinglever which has an arm projecting laterally therefrom. A spring assemblyis located between this latter arm and the hammer and as a result of itscompres- Sion between these components acts to maintain the catch toothin `engagement with the cocking tooth until the lever is turned tocompress the spring assembly to an extent sufcient to drive the hammer.At this time, the catch tooth automatically moves away from the cockingtooth.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates toexplosion-operated devices. For example, the present invention relatesto tirearms similar to the type used in particular for driving ananesthetizing instrument into an animal for anesthetizing the" animal inconnection with the slaughtering thereof.

However, the structure of the invention can be used with other types ofexplosion-operated devices such as any type of pistol or the like usedto drive a projectile with the force of an explosion.

Among the known operating mechanisms for this type of device, thesimplest includes a ring pin drive longitudinally along the breech by aspring. This pin terminates at its front end in a tip which extends intothe cartridge chamber to engage the firing cap at the rear end of acartridge therein. At its rear end the firing pin is provided with a nutwhich is formed with a recess in which a springactuated two-armedcontrol lever is received, this lever being supported for swingingmovement by the breech body. Prior to firing, the tiring pin isdisplaced out of the breech and is releasably maintained in its cockedposition by an arm of the operating lever which is received in therecess of the nut. To effect tiring, the second arm of the operatinglever is depressed so as to bring about the release of the firing pinwhich is driven forward to strike against the tiring cap of thecartridge. This known mechanism is extremely simple as well as reliable.However, it has no safety structure and is incapable of preventingaccidental or unintentional firing.

There are also `known iirearms where a tiring pin is cocked prior totiring, the pin being held in its cocked position by a trigger which isactuated to release the firing pin. However, there are also deviceswhich have xed firing pins provided with hammer elements which by way ofcomplex mechanisms are released to strike against the liring pin afterpressure is applied to a manually operable element. Structures of thistype are exceedingly complex and expensive and are constantly beset byfaulty operation.

3,609,901 Patented Oct. 5 1971 ICC SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It isaccordingly a primary object of the present invention to provide amechanism which will avoid the above drawbacks.

In particular, it is an object of the invention to provide aconstruction of this type which is exceedingly simple as well asreliable in operation and at the same time capable of providing anexceedingly reliable and simple safety against unintentional oraccidental tiring.

In addition, it is an object of the invention to provide a compactassembly wherein both for esthetic reasons as well as for achievingsmall volume and small size the safety structure is housed within anddoes not project from the breech body.

It is particularly an object of the invention to provide a constructionof this type which is adapted for use with an explosion-operatedstructure capable of driving an anesthetizing device into an animal inconnection with the slaughter thereof.

Thus, it is an object of the invention to provide a construction whichis exceedingly simple, which requires only a relatively small number ofrugged elements to achieve the required operation, and which can be veryeasily operated.

In accordance with the invention a breech body supports a tiring pin forlongitudinal movement and a hammer means coacts with the firing pin todrive the latter. This hammer means is provided with a cocking toothwith which a catch tooth coacts. The catch tooth forms part of aswingable operating lever which is supported for pivotal movement by apin carried by the breech body, and this body also carries a pin whichsupports the hammer means for swinging movement. The operating lever hasan arm which denes with the hammer means a space in which a spring meansis accommodated. This spring means is compressed between this latter armand the hammer means to resiliently and releasably maintain the catchtooth in engagement with the cocking tooth in such a way that duringmanual turning of the 'operating lever the spring means, which drivesthe hammer means, will be compressed until the catch tooth becomesdisplaced beyond the cocking tooth whereupon the compressed spring meansexpands to drive the hammer means into engagement with the tiring pin.

Thus, it will be seen that one of the most important advantages achievedwith the invention is the complete safety of the operation. This safetyis brought about because the hammer is only cocked in connection with anactual firing operation just prior to tiring. It is of course possible,although not necessary, to provide an even further safety by locatingthe catch tooth in a rest position away from the cocking tooth of thehammer. This arrangement may be used as a further safetyI feature toserve to prevent operation of the loaded device by unauthorizedpersonnel.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE. DRAWINGS The invention is illustrated by wayof example in the accompanying drawings which form part of thisapplication and in which:

FIG. l is a partly schematic longitudinal sectional elevationfragmentarily illustrating an explosion-operated device which includesthe structure of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the structure of FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional elevation showing thestructure of FIG. 1 in the position it takes just prior to release ofthe hammer means which is shown in PIG. 3 in the position it takes whenit is almost fully cocked, and

FIG. 4 is an end view of the structure of FIG. l as seen in thedirection of the arrow P and illustrating how the 'breech body, and thestructure carried thereby, can be tilted to a position which will exposethe chamber of the cartridge-carrier to enable a shell to be removedtherefrom and a new cartridge to be inserted into the cartridge chamber.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS As may be seen from the rightend of FIG. 1, the illustrated structure includes a breech body 1extending rearwardly beyond and operatively connected with acartridgecarrying body 3 which is formed with an axial bore 2 whichforms the cartridge chamber. The body 1 is itself formed with an axialbore in which a firing pin 4 is guided for axial movement, this pinbeing acted upon by a coil spring 5 which is coiled about the pin andsituated in the bore of the -breech body 1 which also receives thefiring pin. The extent of axial movement of the ring pin 4 is limited bya cross pin 6 which is carried by the breech body and extends across adownwardly directed elongated recess 7 which is formed in the lowersurface portion of the pin 4.

The breech body 1 is formed with a cutout or recess 8 having the steppedconfiguration apparent from FIGS. l and 3. The body 1 carries a pivotpin 9 which extends across the recess 8, and this pin 9 serves topivotably support the pivotable hammer means 10. At its rear surface atapproximately the elevation of the pin 9 the hammer 10 is formed with acocking tooth 11 while at its opposed forwardly directed surface, alsoat the region of the elevation of the pivot pin 9, the hammer is formedwith grooves 12. Also at its forwardly directed surface, but just abovethe ring pin 4, the hammer 10 is provided with a projection 13 adaptedto engage the rearwardly directed surface 14 of the body 1 which definespart of the stepped recess 8, so that the surface 14 coacts with theprojection 13 to act as a stop for limiting the extent of pivotalmovement of the hammer 10. Thus, upon tiring of a cartridge theprojection 13 will engage the surface 14 to limit the pivoting of thehammer 10.

A catch tooth 15 coacts with and engages the cocking tooth 11 of thehammer means 10. This catch tooth 15 forms part of a pivotable operatinglever 16 which is formed with an elongated slot 17 through which asecond pivot pin 18 extends, this pin 18 also extending across therecess 8 and being xedly carried by the body 1. This operating lever 16is actually a two-armed lever having a rear arm 19 which carries thecatch tooth 15 and a front arm 20 provided with an upwardly directedprojection 21 which can be pressed downwardly lby the operator. At itslower side this front arm 20 has a downwardly directed tooth 22 receivedin an elongated depression 23 formed in the body 3 and in the body 1.Below the elongated slot 17 through which the pin 18 extends the lever16 includes a downwardly directed arm 24 which extends into the recess 8downwardly beyond the elongated horizontal portion of the body 1 whichcarries and interconnects the pivot pins 18 and 9. This downwardlydirected arm 24 is formed with an aperture 25 extending therethrough, asindicated in FIGS. 1 and 3.

A spring means is compressed between the arm 24 and the hammer means 10.This spring means includes an elongated rod 26 one end of which isreceived in the aperture 25 and the opposite end of which is providedwith projections in the form of ribs respectively received in thegrooves 12 of the hammer 10. Thus, at its rear end the rod 26 has a head27 provided with the transverse ribs which are received in the grooves12, respectively. The spring means includes a coil spring 28 coiledabout the rod 26, engaging the forwardly directed shoulder, formed bythe front end of the head 27 where it surrounds the rod 26, and pressingagainst the arm 24. Other types of connections between the arm 24 andthe hammer 10 can be provided such as telescopic connections, forexample. However, the illustrated construction is preferred because ofits simplicity and reliability in operation.

The body 1 is formed with a bore 48 extending up to the junction betweenthe cartridge chamber and the front end of the bore in which the tiringpin is guided, so that gases can escape through this bore 48 in theevent of an accidental ignition of the igniting cap situatedapproximately at the location of the front tip of the tiring pin.

The breech body 1 is formed at the region of its front end with anarcuate groove 29 receiving the rear ange 30 situated at the rear end ofthe body 3, the latter being formed just in front of the flange 30 withan arcuate groove which receives a front flange directed inwardly at thefront end of the breech body 1. The breech body 1 is capable of beingtilted between the open position shown in FIG. 4, where the axis of thebreech body is laterally displaced from the axispof the bore 2, and aclosed position where the breech 1 and body 3 are coaxial. For thispurpose the rearwardly directed surface of the outwardly directed flangesituated at the end of the body 3 is formed with an arcuate groove 31(FIG. 4) and this groove receives a matching arcuate rib 32 projectingforwardly Ifrom the front end surface of the breech body 1, the rib 32and groove 31 extending along a common circle so that it is possible tocircumferentially displace the rib 32 in the groove 31 to tilt thebreech between its open and closed positions. In order to limit theswinging of the breech body 1 between its open and closed positions, thebreech body is formed at the upper part of its front face with anarcuate groove 34 extending along a circle concentric with that along-which the rib 32 extends, and the body 3 carries a pin 33 which isreceived within the groove 34 so as to coact with the latter to limitthe extent of tilting of the body 1. Referring to the right portion ofFIG. 4, there is schematically indicated an ejecting lever 35 which canbe manipulated by the operator, in a manner forming no part of thepresent invention, to displace an ejector 36 rearwardly so as to ejectan empty shell out of the cartridge chamber 2.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 3, it will be seen that a barrel 37 isfixed to and projects forwardly from the body 3. At its front end thebarrel is provided with an axially bored muzzle 38 carrying acircumferential seal 39 which -uid-tightly but slidably engages theexterior surface of an anesthetizing instrument 40 of knownconstruction. This instrument 40 has adjacent its rear end a piston 41provided with a piston ring 42 which forms a seal with the inner surfaceof the barrel 37, and forwardly of the rear position of the piston 41the barrel is provided with inner axial grooves 43 through which gasesmay tlow around the piston 41 to cushion the movement of the instrument40 in a manner which does not form part of the present invention. Thebarrel is also formed with discharge apertures 41 through which thegases can pass into an elongated cylindrical chamber 45 delned betweenan outer casing 46 and the exterior sur-face of the barrel 37. This gasdischarge chamber 45 communicates with discharge bores 47 extendingaxially through the outer peripheral portion of the muzzle 38.

During operation of the mechanism of the invention, pressing downwardlyon the front arm 20 of the operating lever 16 will cause the rear arm 19thereof to turn so that the catch tooth 15 acts through the cockingtooth 11 on the hammer 10 to pivot the latter from the position of FIG.l toward the position of FIG. 3. The hammer acts on the rod 26 of thespring means to displace the front end of the rod 26 into the opening 25of the army 24 while the spring 28 of the spring means becomescompressed to an increasing extent. This compression of the spring meansis achieved also in part by the arm 24 which during downward movement ofthe arm 20 tends to move rearwardly toward the hammer 10. The cocking ofthe hammer with accompanying increasing compression of the spring means26, 28 continues until the catch tooth 15 slides beyond the cockingtooth 11 of the hammer 10. At this instant the hammer 10 is released tothe force of the compressed, spring means `26, 28 which expands at its 5spring 28 so as to drive the hammer 10 in a clockwise direction, asviewed in FIGS. l and 3, so that it will strike against the rear end ofthe firing pin 4. In this Way the firing of a cartridge and the drivingof the anesthetizing instrument 40 is achieved. The operating cycle ofthe instrument 40 within the barrel 37 is not described because it doe'snot form part of the present invention.

After ring, the spring 28 acts on the arm 24 to bring about the downwardpressure on the front arm 20 of the lever 16 and the seating of the reararm 19 on the hammer 10. Thus, the catch tooth 15 will not at this timeengage the cooking tooth 11. Thus, before the next ring operation, adownward pressure is applied to the projection 21 to displace the lever16 rearwardly along the pin 18, for which purpose the slot 17 isprovided. This shifting of the le'ver 16 will bring about the snappingof the catch tooth 15 behind the cocking tooth 11 of the hammer 10 sothat it is now possible again to carry out a firing of a cartridge inthe above-described manner.

This shiftable arrangement of the operating lever 16 is provided for thesituation when the cartridge chamber 2 of the body 3 receives acartridge and for any given reason the firing thereof is not to becarried out. Thus, this arrangement serves as a safety againstaccidental, unintentional firing.

Although the invention is illustrated and described with reference toone preferred embodiment thereof, it is to be expressly understood thatit is in no way limited to the disclosure of such a preferredembodiment, but is capable of numerous modications within the scope ofthe appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a mechanism for controlling the operation of an explosion-operateddevice, a breech body ring pin means carried by said breech body forlongitudinal movement with respect thereto, hammer means pivotablycarried by said breech body and coacting with said ring pin means fordriving the latter, said hammer means having a cocking tooth, actuatinglever means pivotafbly carried by said breech body and having a catchtooth coacting with sai cooking tooth, said operating lever means havingan arm spaced from said catch tooth thereof and extending laterally fromthe remainder of said lever means, spring means extending between andpressing against said arm and said hammer means for releasably retainingsaid catch tooth in engagement with said cooking tooth, said breech bodycarrying a pair of pivot pins on which said hammer means and actuatinglever means are respectively pivotable, said lever means being formedwith an elongated slot through which one of said pivot pins passes andsaid breech body having an elongated connecting portion extendingbetween and interconnecting said pivot pins, and said arm of said levermeans extending downwardly beyond the portion of said breech body whichextends between and interconnects said pivot pins.

2. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said spring means includes arod extending between said arm and hammer means and a coil springextending around said rod, said rod has one end directly engaging saidhammer means, said arm being formed with an opening freely receiving theopposed end of said rod, and said rod being formed in the region of saidhammer means with a shoulder directed toward said arm, said coil springbeing coiled about said rod between said shoulder thereof and said arm,and said rod and said hammer means, respectively, have a rib-and-grooveinterengagement with each other.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 591,291 l 0/ 1897 Pieper 42-69644,402 2/ 1900 Bye 42-69 2,069,293 2/ 1937 Wiley 42-69 2,448,810 9/1948 Koucky et al 42-69 B BENJAMIN A. BORCHELT, Primary Examiner C. T. IORDAN, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 17-1 B; 42-1 M

